The Story Behind the Name
by IceCreamAndPizza
Summary: Red. She had been called the name for years, hating it more than bug pokemon, carrots, and peppers combined. What she never could figure out, however, was the why.


(Just a theory on why Gary calls Misty Red.)

_The Story Behind the Name_

"Well what do you know? If it isn't Red," I heard a rather irritating voice say.

I hated that nickname but I hated him more. Here I was, peacefully sitting at the kitchen table when he had to go and show up.

"Hello, Gary," I greeted him rather coldly. "Can I help you with something?"

"No," he replied. "What are you doing here anyway? Ashy-boy isn't going to be here for at least another month. I know you like him, but you really aren't going to wait that long are you?"

"I'm not here for Ash," I explained, disregarding his other comment. "I'm here visiting Ms. Ketchum."

"Right," he replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes for an added effect. "And I'm here to see you."

Why that little! His arrogant, self-righteous face was not wanted here. "What do you want?" I snapped.

"Chill, Red," he smirked. "I just came to drop something off. No need to go all hostile on me."

I just threw him a look of death.

"What's wrong, Red?"

"Stop calling me that!" I shouted as I stood up from my seat and advanced toward him, my fist directed toward him. "I'm not afraid to fight you, Oak."

"All right! All right," he cried, putting his hands in front of his face to defend himself. If there was one thing Gary Oak knew about me, it was that I was a tough person who was not afraid to knock cocky trainers down a few pegs. "I'm sorry, Mist."

"Do not call me THAT either!"

This time, he removed his hands from his face to reveal a devilish grin that only indicated he was going to say something he thought was witty. Witty my butt. Try stupid.

"Oh,_ I _see how it is," he annunciated. "Only Ashy-boy can call you that."

I didn't even say anything to that, instead stepping on his foot as hard as I could. Ha! Take that Gary Oak!

"Holy crap, Red!" he wailed in pain, kneeling down to nurse his injured foot. "Don't you think that was a bit unnecessary?"

"No."

"Right," he sighed. "Of course you wouldn't, Re-"

"Call me Red one more time, and it won't be just your foot that's in pain," I threatened.

"Got it!" he panicked.

"How did you even come up with that stupid nickname?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Why do I feel like the answer to this question will only equal my death?" he asked, but it didn't sound like the question was directed toward me.

"I don't know," I shrugged. Then I quickly glared at him. "Will it?"

"Quite possibly," he sighed. "I'll only tell you if you promise you won't beat me up anymore."

Hmm...maybe Gary Oak was a little smart after all. "All right, fine."

He waited a few seconds to see if I would keep my word before standing up and leaning against the wall, his arms folded. I always liked how he thought he came across as cool and mysterious by always leaning against things with a smirk on his face. _Please_.

"Well, for obvious reasons, I call you Red because your hair is that color."

"How creative," I scoffed.

"And, everyone knows you have a temper like a raging forest fire, which is also red," he told me. He paused for a second, contemplating if he should continue. "But, for less obvious reasons, it's to tick Ashy-boy off."

"What?"

"You see, when Ash and I were younger, there was another boy that we were friends with, and who we created code names with. I was Blue, he was Green, and Ash was Red." Before continuing on, he laughed under his breath. I didn't see what was so funny, though. "When I met you for the first time, I could tell you liked him so, I started calling you Red. When Ash first asked me why I called you that, I told him it was because when you two got married, you would become Mrs. Red. I would have called you Mrs. Red to your face, but you wouldn't get it without knowing the background story. And if I told you the story, it would take away from the secret meaning, and who would I be if I gave it up that quickly? It just wouldn't be as much fun to tease Ash either. So, I just shortened it to Ash's codename as a kid because I knew he would still get the message."

"You evil, conniving, little twit!" With a new understanding of my nickname, I was infuriated. I had asked Ash millions of times why Gary insisted on calling me Red, but not once had he mentioned THIS.

"Brilliant. I know, right?" he grinned like a Cheshire cat.

Forgetting everything I had promised Gary-not that I cared- I took one swing, and knocked the lights out of him. Now to call a certain trainer.


End file.
